Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The madness that is our new life
[Author's Note: WARNING!!! Be prepared for a shock, no spoilers, but I won't be surprised if someone feels like their heart touched the floor.]
When we arrive at the castle, there is a huge gathering of nobles and knights. I only recognize a few members of the crowd. One such was very close to me.
"Judas, Judas Ai!" (Dawson)
He seems to have noticed my call for him. He looks around as if trying to locate the source of the voice.
"Over here Judas, to your right!" (Dawson)
He then looks me in the face, then starts to walk over to me.
"There you are, those of us that know you have been watching out for you, waiting for your return." (Judas)
"What's going on here Judas?" (Dawson)
"Please, just follow me, your father will explain everything." (Judas)
We then follow Judas through the crowd, though it is easier than expected. I guess that's what you can expect for being titled the 'hero' of the country. He leads us to the entrance to the castle itself. The guards see us and immediately separate us from the crowd by creating a manned wall behind us.
We then enter the castle.
"Do you know the way to the throne room from here?" (Judas)
"Yes, I do." (Stevenson)
"Then please go there, the king is waiting for his son's arrival. I need to go and keep the peace." (Judas)
"Please, Young Prince, follow me." (Stevenson)
We then go to the throne room. When we arrive (through the back entrance) my father happily welcomes us, though with a bit of apology in his eyes.
"Welcome… I'm sorry Dawson, was it hard for you to get here?" (Ernest)
"Not really, Judas was a big help, he led me through the crowd like I was just walking on an empty street." (Dawson)
"That's good…" (Ernest)
"What's going on here father?" (Dawson)
Responding to this, people who I did not even notice were in the room until now, started muttering things like 'is this him', 'it's the new prince', 'I expected him to be a baby', 'so it's true, they arrived from another world', and other stuff like that.
"…and who are all these people, here and in front of the castle?" (Dawson)
"I don't know how, but somehow word of your arrival leaked out to a noble who is a major blabbermouth, and that noble spread it like a wildfire spreads during summer." (Ernest)
"So that caused all this?" (Dawson)
"Yes… we either need to endure this until you are ready for such, or to have a proper unveiling ceremony to rectify this, and quench their curiosities." (Ernest)
"Can this 'ceremony' be done on a moment's notice, and if we are able to, and do this, today, will we be able to be done with this before dinner?" (Dawson)
"Yes, it can be done before the end of day today, however, it will become a feast by the end of it, in which important nobles and special guests are the only ones on the invite list, so if you were worried about whether the Shews will be able to attend, they would count as a special guest due to your personal invite." (Ernest)
"Well, if there is a way to tell them about the change in advance, I will gladly do this 'ceremony' so that I don't have to endure a constantly crowded courtyard every time I come and go." (Dawson)
"I can do that in an instant," a portal opens in front of us, obviously leading to where Harold stands, "Stevenson, please use my portal to tell them about the change in plans, you will have to return by conventional means though." (Ernest)
"Yes, sire." (Stevenson)
Stevenson walks through the portal which closes right behind him.
"So, with that out of the way, are you honestly willing to go through with this?" (Ernest)
"Yes, I said I would, and I never go back on my word." (Dawson)
"With this happening, what shall I do?" (Carmen)
"That's up to you Carmen, you can do one of three things: one, you can go to the ceremony being presented as Dawson's fiancé; two, go there being presented as my niece; or three, go there as a special guest." (Ernest)
Blushing Carmen says, "I wish to go as Dawson's fiancé, that's if such is okay with Dawson," ending that statement while looking at me with puppy-dog eyes.
I first think, 'seriously, a fifteen-year-old girl is doing puppy-dog eyes'. Then after a little, I start to think 'how could I say no to her' then realize that the look she was giving was really effective, so, with a wink I say "Even without such a look, I'd readily accept your proposal."
"Well then, let's get you two ready for such… I'll leave it to Chandra and Freedom to get you ready Carmen, while I'll ask my personal butler to see to your attire Dawson." (Ernest)
We both simply nod in affirmation. We are then led by the ones mentioned, to our respective rooms.
--Point of View: Stevenson--
"What in the name of! Where did you! Why are you! What's going on here?!?!" (Harrold)
I arrive hearing such. It honestly startled me a little too, however, I've come her per order of his majesty, I must carry such out to the fullest.
"I'm sorry sir, I must have startled you with my sudden appearance, I am Stevenson, and I came here to inform you of a change in your previously arranged dinner plans with the prince…" (Stevenson)
I am cut off by Harrold.
"So, it was as I expected, a prince eating with commoners, the idea was ridiculous, to begin with." (Harrold)
"Sir, wait! You misunderstand me. I came not to tell you the plans were canceled, on the contrary, I came to tell you they were changed to a more formal venue." (Stevenson)
"WHAT!!!" eyes wide, "What do you mean, a more formal venue?" (Harrold)
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the princes unveiling is being held today, and the prince himself has sent an invitation to you two to attend his banquet as special guests." (Stevenson)
Then Honey walks in.
"Dear… oh, why didn't you tell me we had company… your name is… Stevenson?" (Honey)
"Yes, madam… and he didn't tell you due to how suddenly I arrived, you see, I arrived via the king's teleportation." (Stevenson)
She worriedly looks at me and asks "So… the reason you came was urgent?"
"Yes… however, there is no emergency, just an unexpected sudden change of plans the prince wanted you two prepared for." (Stevenson)
In a monotone voice, "We've been invited last minute as special guests to the prince's unveiling banquet." (Harrold)
"Oh! What a splendid surprise! Thank you, Stevenson, for telling us ahead of time, lest we arrive and be shocked by the sudden change of venue." (Honey)
"It was no problem," I say with a bow.
After that, Harrold and Honey continue to discuss the matter, whereas I go back to the castle.
--Point of View: Carmen Shawl--
After that both ChaCha and Freedom take me to my room. There they bring out the three outfits prepared by Ernest depending on which decision I made.
"Does it really matter all that much what I wear?" (Carmen)
"Yes!" the other two say in unison.
"You have to look the part of whatever you decide to present yourself as, a bride-to-be has to show off her beauty without showing any signs of wanting to stray from her partner" (Freedom)
"To be family of the king you would need to still be showy, but make sure, full well, not to outshine the prince!" (Chandra)
"And if you were to have chosen to just be a special guest…" (Freedom)
"Then you would need to make sure not to outshine the others at the party, while still being classy enough to not stick out poorly." (Chandra)
"Wow! I never knew how much of an impact what you wear could have, none of my family has ever put much emphasis on clothing, though that has made me a rarity among girls in my land of origin." (Carmen)
"Such is to be expected, living in a place that has not any form of royalty." (Freedom)
"As long as Dawson likes how I look, the rest won't really matter to me." (Carmen)
"Well, once we are done with you, you will look stunning…" (Freedom)
"You will even outshine the prince, but don't you worry…" (Chandra)
"It is expected for one's bride to be to outshine them on any occasion whereas one is introducing her to others as their future bride." (Freedom)
As this conversation was going on, in the way many anime and light novels have done such things when one has maids, they were getting me ready for the celebration. Putting on my dress, makeup, and some stuff like perfume, but with a different name, that I could tell by the smell was probably just some sort of extract.
"And now, the reveal" Freedom said while uncovering my eyes in front of a mirror.
They were done and showed me how I look in such a fashion. I am dumbstruck. I only know that this is me due to the fact of the shocked expression of the beautiful woman in the mirror matching the expression I hold. I have never worn makeup due to lack of knowing how to use it without it looking tacky to me. I have always thought that you should only use just enough to bring out your natural beauty but don't know how to put such into practice. However, they have done just that.
Next is the dress, never would I have expected such a dress to actually just extenuate my beauty. I thought such an over-the-top dress would only keep your eyes on the dress. However, this dress, pure white ballroom dress, and at a length that it looks as if it is dragging on the ground, yet has not a fiber of itself touching the ground. This dress, which does not show off my body, yet has gold lace along the hem. This dress, it seems to only extenuate the beauty that lies inside it without overcoming it. I never thought that I could get away with wearing such a dress, but if how I see myself in this mirror is any representation to how others will see me, then, I will likely be the highlight of this celebration.
[Author Note: Sorry, this hurt me to write, too much emphasis on the dress Carmen, please stop this. I write how the character thinks, even when it annoys me, so please don't fault me.]
"…I...I...I…I don't know…know what to say…" (Carmen)
"Is it not to your liking?" (Freedom)
"It's…just…it's too amazing! ...I can't even believe it's me…" (Carmen)
"With this, you'll be the highlight of the ball?" (Chandra)
"You're right ChaCha," deep breath, "Let's go" (Carmen)
We then go to meat Sone. As we are walking there, they tell me about the tradition when a prince introduces his fiancé.
--Point of View: Dawson Sen--
The butler seems like he is in a hurry to get to my room.
"Why the rush?" (Dawson)
"Tradition" (Butler)
"Tradition?" (Dawson)
"When a prince reveals his bride, even if it's only a bride to be, he must be ready before her, then wait for her in his room" (Butler)
"It seems to me like that means rather than him escorting her, she escorts him." (Dawson)
"That is one way to look at it, but to the public eye, that's not what they see. They see a patient groom who is willing to wait for his beloved." (Butler)
We then arrived at my room. I quickly change into the attire that the butler has picked out for me. Then while waiting we have some idle chitchat.
"I've never heard your name?" (Dawson)
"I prefer for others to not know, not even the king knows it." (Butler)
"What?!" (Dawson)
*Clang*
That sound came from the hall.
--Point of View: Harrold Shew--
[Author's Note: Harrold, Wherefore doth thee bethink liketh this. Seriously, this is how you think?]
Aft'r the craziness of all yond, Honey did convince me to wend to Prince Dawson's Unveiling Banquet. As we w're on our way, a sir in a black trench coat with a large hood hath appeared in front of us.
"You were told you would be made to suffer." (Man)
"Who are you, and what do you want!!" (Honey)
"Who I am is something you will never know, however, as far as what I want, you've imprisoned my buddies, however, I already got an all-clear from the one who got what he wanted, so the only one left to punish is you" (Man)
Honey did proceed to putteth a protective buckler 'round us using h'r abilities in the lighteth and windeth attributes.
"You won't get the chance." (Honey)
"Such measures are useless against the spell I have prepared for you, a dark spell that has quite the nasty bite, even I don't know a way to live through it." (Man)
Aft'r declaring yond, the sir did shoot a spelleth yond did look liketh an arrow headeth mesh'd with a stone. A bett'r description is what his majesty did describe as a bullet, something liketh yond. The spelleth though, wast just pure black, without substantial f'rm.
The spelleth wast aim'd at me. T hath passed right through the barri'r liketh yond barri'r didn't existeth. Howev'r, bef're t hadst a chance to hitteth me, Honey hadst already did jump in the path of the spelleth and tooketh the hitteth. The lady immediately hath fallen unconscious, and t did look by the pain'd expression in h'r visage, yond death apace approaches.
At first, I didn't coequal realizeth what hadst just hath happened. But as anon, as I didst, I hath called out f'r holp.
"SOMEONE! Please! Help!" (Harrold)
I knoweth I may speaketh diff'rently than I talketh, but I talketh the way those 'round shall und'rstand, but I bethink the way I wast did teach to speaketh.
"Sir, what seems to be the problem" (Knight)
A knight cameth running from anoth'r street.
"It's my wife, she was hit with some strange spell, then immediately collapsed." (Harrold)
I showeth that gent the royal crest I has't.
"Please, can you help her, I know not what to do." (Harrold)
"I shall take you to the castle, I know the royal sorcerer personally, he'll be glad to help." (Knight)
Aft'r yond we did rush to the castle, honey unconscious all the way, looking w'rse by the moment. We arriv'd about three-quart'rs of an hour aft'r the lady hadst been hitteth by the spelleth. Thankfully, the ones who is't did see us ent'r the grounds w're readily able to holp us. So we did get to the Royal S'rc'r'rs quart'rs in moments. The s'rc'r'r examin'd Honey.
"I'm sorry sir, I do know the spell, but alas, I do not know how to save her. As it stands now, she has another 3 hours to live." (Sorcerer)
"I can tell you a way to prolong her life by a day exactly, however, I have not the means in my power, and it takes a Light user." (Sorcerer)
"Please! If I can be given the chance to find a way to save her, even if it is remote, I will take it!" (Harrold)
--Point of View: Carmen Shawl--
I hear some voices from a room with an open door we were passing by on rout to Sone's room. So I look as we were about to pass, and see Harrold, then I stop dead in my tracks.
"What's the matt…" (Chandra)
"ChaCha? What is i..." (Freedom)
As they ask, they follow my eyes, and see, Honey lying unconscious, with 3 men standing around her, one of which is her husband Harrold.
I start to walk in.
In a soft yet worried tone "Harrold, what happened… what's going on?" (Carmen)
"Oh, Miss Carmen, it's my wife, she's been hit by some sort of sell, at present she has another 3 hours to live, but the sorcerer," gestures at the man with a long robe on, "knows how to prolong her life by a day using an attribute he does not have" (Harrold)
"Which attribute is that?" (Carmen)
"Light, I have 6 attributes, but not one of them is Light" (Sorcerer)
"I HAVE LIGHT! Can I possibly do the spell?!?" said with wide eyes, and a little excitement. (Carmen)
"Let me do a test first, to see if you have enough mana to be able to cast such a powerful spell." (Sorcerer)
He places a metallic looking ball in my hands, and starts to say something when…
*Clang*
To which he quickly grabs it out of my hands with an astonished expression.
"That clang was a warning sound it gives off if it has too much magic poured into it. And for such to happen so quickly, you must have a complete abundance of magic, it's just unheard-of for anyone to cause it to ring out that quickly by just holding it." (Sorcerer)
--Point of View: Dawson Sen--
We quickly go into the hall, where I hear a voice that I've never heard before.
"Have you ever practiced magic before?" (Man)
Followed by one I recognize right away.
"Not at all, I've only been tested, and was told I had Fire, Water, and Light affinities." (Carmen)
I quickly walk over there and then stop dead in my tracks.
"Sire, What seems to be the… oh…" (Butler)
We both see Honey's unconscious body. And by the surrounding faces, I understand that something bad has happened to her.
"Sire? Would you happen to be the prince?" (Man)
Almost cutting off the man in his question, "Dawson," then comes quickly to give me a hug. (Carmen)
Returning the hug, "I am, and who are you?" (Dawson)
"He is the Royal Sorcerer." (Butler)
The sorcerer bows.
"We were just talking of having… Miss Carmen?" Carmen nods in affirmation, "Miss Carmen here try to use a spell that can prolong Miss Honey's life." (Sorcerer)
"First, is it safe? Second, why not one that can save her life?" (Dawson)
"I can assure you, with her mana capacity, the reason for the clang you might have heard earlier," the butler nods, like he understands what is being said, "It is most definitely safe. As far as why not save her, the Dark Attribute spell has no method to stop it within the 6 true elements, and it does have one way to prolong it in light, however, that method only works once." (Sorcerer)
"So, our only chance to save her would be to find a void magic user that has an ability that can give her back her life in some way or another." (Dawson)
"That is correct, however, I've never met one who has had such a magic that can counter this banned spell." (Sorcerer)
"Carmen? If you want to help her, don't hesitate on my account." (Dawson)
"Oh! Yes! Please instruct me on what to do to save her." (Carmen)
"Thankfully this is a simple spell, almost any light user has the knowledge capability to use it, just not the mana." Pause that seems to last a lifetime, "O.K., take your hands and extend them, palm facing out, directly in front of you, extending your arms as far as you easily can." (Sorcerer)
She starts following his instructions right away.
"Now concentrate your mana into the palms of your hands, and think 'I want the light of the sun, with a peace that surpasses understanding'." (Sorcerer)
Gradually two orbs start to appear in front of her hands. The orbs are the size of her fist.
"Now, try to make those two orbs into one without moving your hands." (Sorcerer)
The two orbs slowly merge into one orb. The new orb has the size as if three of the original orbs had been merged instead of two.
"Now push the orb into Miss Honey's chest while placing your hands on her chest." (Sorcerer)
The light is pushed into Honey's chest and the Carmen places her hands on Honey's breasts.
"Now please repeat after me," Raises his tone of voice a little, "The pure and peaceful light," (Sorcerer)
"The pure and peaceful light," (Carmen)
"The light that gives hope" (Sorcerer)
"The light that gives hope" (Carmen)
"For the sake of the one here" (Sorcerer)
"For the sake of the one here" (Carmen)
"Disperse! Cure all." (Sorcerer)
"Disperse! Cure all." (Carmen)
Honey becomes shrouded in a white light. After about a minute, the light turns black then back to white in a matter of about 30 seconds.
"The spell was a success, look now on her arm, there should be what looks like a black branding made of ink." (Sorcerer)
We looked, there was what looked to be a black tattoo on her right arm. It had what looked like a thermometer that was ever so slowly having the temperature drain from it.
With a solemn face, "When that is empty is when she will die, it will take roughly 27 hours to drain." (Sorcerer)
"Thank you both for helping in prolonging her life," under his breath, where I just barely hear him, but I don't think the others do, "I just hope we can find one with a void magic that can save her." (Harrold)
"There is no need…" (Carmen & Sorcerer)
"There is no need to thank me. All I did is to tell Miss Carmen how to perform the spell." (Sorcerer)
"I was going to contradict you and say 'there is no need to thank me, for I only did what I believe to be right, and I could only do that much, thanks to the sorcerer's instructions." She says with a smile. (Carmen)
I plane my hand on Harrold's shoulder, then, with a glance at the butler, "Don't worry, I will use this gathering that is today to help with such, if there is one that can arrive in the time, Honey shall be saved." (Dawson)
"I shall signal you when the best time to share such is, though it'd be better if Miss Shawl would be willing to ask, with you behind her while she speaks, showing your support that way." (Butler)
"Carmen?" (Dawson)
"I'll do it!" she says with determination. (Carmen)
In a commanding tone, "Soldier, Please take Honey to a guest room and see to it that she is properly taken care of and protected." (Dawson)
"Yes Sire" (Knight)
After that, Carmen, Harrold, the Butler, the Sorcerer, and I head to the unveiling.
______
Chat with author
https://discord.gg/nFu7gHS
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
DeJeL
DeJeL I have a new thing I am doing.;,;.
I have a Patreon, if you like my work enough to want a chance to help more directly in the process of it's creation, please take a look.
patreon.com/DeJeL_WN
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone